ADHD and perfectionism appear to be completely opposite since symptoms of ADHD are a lack of attention and organization, while perfectionism involves being extremely detail-oriented. However, ADHD and perfectionism can be combined to create more challenges at school, at home, or on the job as an adult.
ADHD causes deficits in attention, motivation, self-regulation, and organization which can lead to symptoms such as:
-Taking longer to complete work tasks
-Procrastination
-Ineffective time management
-Starting projects and not being able to focus in order to finish them
Perfectionism isn’t just about trying to do every job perfectly, and can often lead to kids getting stuck on every detail. Procrastination and not finishing tasks or projects can also be a result of perfectionism because individuals can become discouraged by their own impossible standards. Combining both ADHD and perfectionism can be a recipe for disaster!
Individuals with ADHD have perfectionistic tendencies for various reasons including:
-Impaired self-regulation: Executive functioning (set of cognitive processes that are necessary for self-regulation) is impaired in people with ADHD. So, it is harder for individuals with ADHD to estimate the appropriate amount of time and effort to put into tasks. They may tend to just keep doing the task until it is absolutely “perfect.”
-Perfectionism as a coping mechanism: Kids with ADHD tend to be told that they should “try harder” and pay more attention to details. They resolve the issue of making so many mistakes or not paying attention to detail by needing to make things “perfect.” This results in them getting so absorbed in perfecting every little detail and ultimately becoming perfectionists.
How can parents and other adults help with perfectionism?
-Teachers can remind students that making mistakes is part of learning and to not “sweat the small stuff.”
-Parents and caregivers can avoid telling kids to try their best since the word “best” can create more stress for kids over performance.
-Praise the kids’ efforts in order to help them focus on simply just completing the task.
-Remind kids to be kind to themselves and that sometimes good is good enough.